Tropescilloscope: Character Development

A character changes over the course of a narrative. (read more at tvtropes.org)

More Tropes Character Development Russian Films You Killed My Father Facial Horror The Sociopath Unresolved Sexual Tension Italian Films British Films Only Sane Man Not So Stoic The '60s It Will Never Catch On Sci-Fi Horror Damsel in Distress Deus ex Machina Horror Films Hong Kong Films Big "NO!" Bloodless Carnage Plucky Comic Relief Greater-Scope Villain I Just Shot Marvin in the Face Betty and Veronica Psychopathic Manchild Suspiciously Similar Substitute Dies Wide Open Obfuscating Stupidity Immune to Bullets All Girls Want Bad Boys In Medias Res Truth in Television Off-into-the-Distance Ending Death by Adaptation The Film of the Book Every Car Is a Pinto The Lost Lenore Early-Bird Cameo Bare Your Midriff Evil Brit Trailers Always Spoil Wham Shot This Is Gonna Suck Broken Aesop It's All About Me Stepford Smiler Only Known by Their Nickname Meaningful Background Event The Stoner Beard of Evil Woman in White Arranged Marriage Gender Flip Roaring Rampage of Revenge Dull Surprise German Films Captain Ersatz Dutch Angle Big Fancy House Faking the Dead Market-Based Title There Is No Kill Like Overkill Bait-and-Switch The Alcoholic Big Bad Extremely Short Timespan Mundane Made Awesome Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds Self-Deprecation Took a Level in Badass Fire-Forged Friends folderlabel Covers Always Lie Bad Boss Missing Mom Camp Gay All Men Are Perverts Last-Name Basis Romantic False Lead Love at First Sight Knife Nut Totally Radical Hypocrite Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome Ass Shove Cassandra Truth Foil Only in It for the Money Actually Pretty Funny Neck Lift Have a Gay Old Time Even Evil Has Standards Kill It with Fire Rasputinian Death Pre-Asskicking One-Liner As Himself Mercy Kill Canadian Movies Henpecked Husband Shut Up, Hannibal! The Alleged Car Instant Death Bullet Dirty Cop Rule of Three Creepy Child Eagleland Rewatch Bonus Translation Convention Better to Die than Be Killed Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold Card-Carrying Villain Adaptational Villainy Beware the Nice Ones Manic Pixie Dream Girl And Starring Bury Your Gays Sealed Evil in a Can Karma Houdini Antagonist Title Spell My Name with an "S" The Power of Love Tranquil Fury Conspicuous CG MacGuffin Bad "Bad Acting" The Remake Fourth Date Marriage Those Two Bad Guys Homage Frame-Up Crazy-Prepared Anachronism Stew Protagonist Title Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping Villain Protagonist Laughing Mad Bilingual Bonus Bar Brawl My God, What Have I Done? Establishing Character Moment Deal with the Devil Product Placement Evil Is Petty Evil Cannot Comprehend Good The Cameo Country Matters Unreliable Narrator Downer Ending An Axe to Grind Broken Pedestal Dark and Troubled Past Contrived Coincidence Match Cut All Just a Dream Irony Affectionate Parody Manchild Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other Novelization Knight Templar Driven to Suicide Continuity Nod Implacable Man Dying Moment of Awesome Breaking the Fourth Wall Danny Peary Cult Movies List Tagline Expy Not Using the "Z" Word Call-Back Noodle Incident Cowboy Cop Psycho for Hire Ugly Guy, Hot Wife Grey and Gray Morality Recap / RiffTrax aka: Riff Trax Movies Suddenly SHOUTING! Man on Fire Does This Remind You of Anything? A God Am I Posthumous Character Death by Sex Chuck Cunningham Syndrome The '70s Eye Scream Genre Throwback Mugging the Monster Wham Line Serial Killer Loophole Abuse For the Evulz Taking the Bullet Punch-Clock Villain Karmic Death Skewed Priorities Whole Plot Reference Narrator Curse Cut Short Neck Snap Meaningful Echo Sole Survivor The '50s Green-Eyed Monster Double-Meaning Title Mistaken for Gay Public Domain Feature Films The Vamp Historical-Domain Character Taking You with Me Everyone Has Standards "Shaggy Dog" Story Room Full of Crazy Adaptation Expansion Mythology Gag Music Stories Villain Ball Early Installment Weirdness Moment Killer Running Gag Here We Go Again! Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas Not So Above It All As Long as It Sounds Foreign I Need a Freaking Drink Star-Crossed Lovers Dramedy Bring My Brown Pants Bald of Evil Hate Sink Humans Are Bastards Nice Hat Adaptational Heroism Evil-Detecting Dog Four-Temperament Ensemble Undying Loyalty Light Is Not Good Stylistic Suck World of Ham Catapult Nightmare Say My Name Empathic Environment Camera Abuse Idiot Ball BFG The Starscream Chase Scene Ripped from the Headlines Hero of Another Story Credits Gag Maybe Ever After Annoying Younger Sibling Major Injury Underreaction Artistic License – Military Soundtrack Dissonance Becoming the Mask Air-Vent Passageway Jerk with a Heart of Gold Abusive Parents Interrupted Suicide Jerkass Has a Point Offscreen Teleportation Ax-Crazy Pre-Mortem One-Liner Spiritual Successor Soft Glass Redemption Equals Death Television Movie Index Apocalypse How Retcon Pretty in Mink Fate Worse than Death From Nobody to Nightmare Naked People Are Funny Handicapped Badass Nothing Is Scarier Naïve Newcomer Mystery and Detective Films He Who Fights Monsters Depraved Bisexual Wounded Gazelle Gambit Ragtag Bunch of Misfits Token Minority Works Set in World War II Armor-Piercing Question Together in Death Super Strength Stalker with a Crush Expository Hairstyle Change Adapted Out Cool Shades Slasher Movie La Résistance Rousing Speech Mighty Whitey Motor Mouth I'm a Humanitarian Sir Swears-a-Lot Never Trust a Trailer Black and Gray Morality Badass Normal Love Triangle Animal Title Index Intergenerational Friendship Eiffel Tower Effect Word of God The Bully Auto Erotica What the Hell, Hero? Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane The Lancer Framing Device Blood from the Mouth Foregone Conclusion Superhero Brother–Sister Incest Storming the Castle Film Noir Index Reasonable Authority Figure One-Man Army timeperiod Badass in a Nice Suit Adorkable Older Than They Look No Celebrities Were Harmed Stealth Pun Fanservice Extra Humiliation Conga Improbable Weapon User Destination Defenestration Drugs Are Bad Diabolus ex Machina Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy The '90s Reckless Gun Usage Dark Is Not Evil Action Prologue Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass Cool Old Guy The Mafia Yandere Big-Bad Ensemble Film Series The Un-Favourite aka: The Un Favorite Big Brother Instinct Visual Pun Central Theme Break the Cutie Awesome, but Impractical Blood Knight Captain Obvious Black Comedy Monumental Damage Historical Villain Upgrade Important Haircut Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique The Big Guy Rape as Drama Killed Mid-Sentence As You Know Curb-Stomp Battle Fat Bastard After the End Fiery Redhead Animated Credits Opening Bland-Name Product Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil Pyrrhic Victory Hidden Depths Death Seeker The Reveal Bittersweet Ending Bottomless Magazines Accidental Murder Author Avatar B-Movie Recycled IN SPACE! Brainless Beauty Dissonant Serenity Hoist by His Own Petard Would Hit a Girl Nice Job Fixing It, Villain! Psychological Thriller Action Survivor Manipulative Bastard Police are Useless Rich Bitch Zombie Stories Only a Flesh Wound Big Bad Duumvirate Morality Pet Five-Man Band Improvised Weapon Sassy Black Woman Worthy Opponent Insane Troll Logic Once More, with Clarity! Sanity Slippage Pragmatic Villainy Darkest Hour Half the Man He Used to Be Hope Spot Slasher Smile Dumb Blonde Corrupt Corporate Executive Hair-Trigger Temper Made of Explodium Adaptation Name Change The Ghost Fatal Family Photo Anguished Declaration of Love Shower Scene No Antagonist Red Herring "Well Done, Son!" Guy Married to the Job The Great Depression Vacation Films Pragmatic Adaptation Blatant Lies Bunny-Ears Lawyer Face Death with Dignity Improbable Infant Survival aka: Infant Immortality Bowdlerise Scare Chord Stealth Hi/Bye Dramatic Irony Pet the Dog Leaning on the Fourth Wall Brick Joke Male Gaze More Dakka Sinister Minister Retired Badass Failed a Spot Check No Good Deed Goes Unpunished Refuge in Audacity The Quiet One Ascended Extra Evil Is Hammy Body Horror Our Vampires Are Different Mama Bear Those Two Guys Index of Film Westerns Random Events Plot Alpha Bitch Toilet Humour aka: Toilet Humor Freudian Excuse Hollywood Darkness Cruel and Unusual Death Chekhov's Skill Kubrick Stare Spanner in the Works Never My Fault Honor Before Reason Needs Wiki Magic Love Comically Missing the Point From Bad to Worse Never Trust a Trailer aka: Trailers Always Lie Fainting The Mole Take a Third Option Nice Guy Mr. Fanservice Action Girl Fatal Flaw Affably Evil Anyone Can Die Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep" Disproportionate Retribution Author Appeal Pay Evil unto Evil Ambiguous Disorder The Ditz Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday How We Got Here Manly Tears Fantasy Films It's Personal Badass Grandpa Overprotective Dad Screw the Money, I Have Rules! Call-Forward Punctuated! For! Emphasis! Crucified Hero Shot Genre Savvy Not What It Looks Like Fan Disservice Hooker with a Heart of Gold An Aesop Stock Footage Obviously Evil Disney Death Colour-Coded for Your Convenience aka: Color Coded For Your Convenience Wrong Genre Savvy The Smart Guy Gone Horribly Right No OSHA Compliance Kill 'em All Daddy's Girl Too Dumb to Live Adaptation Distillation Scenery Gorn Unusually Uninteresting Sight NO INDOOR VOICE Heterosexual Life-Partners Heel Realization Your Cheating Heart Drill Sergeant Nasty Ironic Echo Logo Joke Science Fiction Films Plot Hole Video Credits As the Good Book Says... Eureka Moment Outrun the Fireball Big Eater The Dragon Parental Incest The Ace Hell Is That Noise Smug Snake Villain with Good Publicity Arc Words Agony of the Feet Twist Ending Amusing Injuries Cool Car Pimped-Out Dress Not So Different Break the Haughty Gainax Ending Good Is Not Nice I Want My Beloved to Be Happy Brutal Honesty Rule of Symbolism A Minor Kidroduction Ambiguous Ending N-Word Privileges Catch-Phrase Screw This, I'm Outta Here! Lighter and Softer What You Are in the Dark Slashed Throat Chekhov's Gun Ungrateful Bastard Deliberately Monochrome Bloody Hilarious Not Quite Dead French Films Film Noir Faux Affably Evil You Have Got to Be Kidding Me! Red Shirt Hypocritical Humor The X of Y Dramatic Gun Cock Big Applesauce Horror Comedy Gilligan Cut Ship Tease Bloodier and Gorier Mooks Military and Warfare Films Dirty Coward For Want of a Nail Woman Scorned Gory Discretion Shot Disappeared Dad Foreshadowing Cat Fight Dark Reprise Malevolent Masked Men Laser-Guided Karma Cool Old Lady Politically Incorrect Villain Non-Indicative Name Despair Event Horizon 20 Minutes into the Future Evil Plan Final Girl Guns Akimbo Up to Eleven Dirty Old Man Belligerent Sexual Tension Gorn Those Wacky Nazis Riddle for the Ages Due to the Dead Getting Crap Past the Radar No Ending Screw the Rules, I Have Money! Japanese Films Unwitting Instigator of Doom Bullying a Dragon Overly Long Gag Lampshade Hanging Bond One-Liner Small Name, Big Ego '80s Hair The Casanova Meet Cute The Smurfette Principle Make It Look Like an Accident Artistic License – Gun Safety May–December Romance Based on a True Story Action Genre Fish out of Water Death by Irony Male Frontal Nudity Peek-a-Boo Corpse Grievous Bottley Harm Badass Boast Developing Doomed Characters Beauty Is Never Tarnished Revenge True Companions "Awesome McCool" Name Accidental Misnaming Heroic BSoD "The Reason You Suck" Speech Never Found the Body Made of Iron Bitch in Sheep's Clothing Suspiciously Specific Denial Title Drop Drives Like Crazy Shown Their Work Toplessness from the Back Retirony Berserk Button In the Back Deconstruction Unspoken Plan Guarantee Bolivian Army Ending Aside Glance And the Adventure Continues Back from the Dead "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue Jitter Cam Dressing as the Enemy Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism Villain Song Setting Update Car Fu Almost Kiss Calling the Old Man Out Offscreen Moment of Awesome An Arm and a Leg Cat Scare Demoted to Extra Fingore One Steve Limit Badass Longcoat Parental Neglect Real Life Fun with Acronyms Ambiguously Gay Lock and Load Montage Cloudcuckoolander Black Best Friend The Hero Insult Backfire Did Not Get the Girl Impaled with Extreme Prejudice Blonde, Brunette, Redhead Evil vs. Evil Authority Equals Asskicking Animal Motifs Actor Allusion Black Dude Dies First Insistent Terminology Amoral Attorney Anti-Villain He Knows Too Much She's Got Legs Documentary Not Even Bothering with the Accent Guile Hero Same Language Dub Vomit Indiscretion Shot Precision F-Strike Took a Level in Jerkass Vomit Discretion Shot Death Glare Fake Shemp You Have Failed Me Thriller Martial Arts Movie Does Not Like Shoes Spiteful Spit Unusual Euphemism Red Eyes, Take Warning It Can Think Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking Artistic License – Law Dropped a Bridge on Him Sports Stories Tap on the Head Smoking Is Cool Off with His Head! Sexy Discretion Shot Face–Heel Turn Friend to All Children Reality Is Unrealistic Villainous Breakdown Jerk Jock Drowning My Sorrows Silence Is Golden All There in the Manual The Load Anachronic Order Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene The Place Ms. Fanservice Groin Attack Batman Gambit Creator Cameo Straight Gay Black Comedy Rape Parental Substitute Aluminum Christmas Trees Composite Character Children Are Innocent Kids Are Cruel Informed Ability Vampire Fiction Dual Wielding The Voiceless Paper-Thin Disguise Heel–Face Turn O.O.C. Is Serious Business Ghost Fiction Artistic License – Physics Mind Screw The Dog Bites Back Meaningful Name Victoria's Secret Compartment Mood Whiplash Line-of-Sight Name Wretched Hive Villain Opening Scene Reality Has No Subtitles Freeze-Frame Bonus Award-Bait Song Christmas Movies Index Alas, Poor Villain Double Entendre Get Out! Bond Villain Stupidity Death of a Child Blackmail Fantastic Racism Our Zombies Are Different Heroic Sacrifice All for Nothing A Father to His Men Eyepatch of Power Bavarian Fire Drill Evil Laugh Training Montage Artistic License – Geography Rated M for Manly Even Evil Has Loved Ones All There in the Script Papa Wolf Funny Background Event Why Don't You Just Shoot Him? Really Gets Around Crapsack World The Stinger Scenery Porn Hero Antagonist Heroes Want Redheads Badass Bookworm Evil Counterpart Bound and Gagged The '80s Adults Are Useless Combat Pragmatist Dark Action Girl A Date with Rosie Palms The Musical No-Sell Didn't Think This Through Show Within a Show The Brute Red Right Hand Creative Closing Credits Disguised in Drag Deadpan Snarker Loads and Loads of Characters Your Head A-Splode Fanservice Stuff Blowing Up Cold-Blooded Torture Punny Name Chiaroscuro Leave the Camera Running Artistic License – Biology What Happened to the Mouse? Historical Hero Upgrade Boom, Headshot! Improbable Aiming Skills Madness Mantra Let's Get Dangerous! In Name Only Race Lift Butt-Monkey Large Ham Happily Married Adaptational Attractiveness Extreme Doormat Re-Cut Serious Business Costume Porn Why Did It Have to Be Snakes? No-Holds-Barred Beatdown Closed Circle Decoy Protagonist Pun aka: Incredibly Lame Pun Scary Black Man Parental Abandonment Funny Foreigner Intrepid Reporter Slap-Slap-Kiss Department of Redundancy Department Hollywood Law Take That! The Faceless Demonic Possession Gratuitous English Vitriolic Best Buds She Cleans Up Nicely Ominous Latin Chanting Australian Movies Defiant to the End Arch-Enemy Beta Couple Eldritch Abomination Spared by the Adaptation Rule of Funny Flipping the Bird Men Are the Expendable Gender Mexican Standoff Adaptation Dye-Job No Name Given Adult Fear Obstructive Bureaucrat Redshirt Army Chewing the Scenery Darker and Edgier Determinator aka: The Determinator Tempting Fate Big Damn Heroes Shell-Shocked Veteran Romantic Comedy Well-Intentioned Extremist Jerkass One-Word Title Be Careful What You Wish For Babies Ever After Earn Your Happy Ending Evil Sounds Deep I Have Your Wife Poor Communication Kills A.I. Is a Crapshoot Put on a Bus Flashback Attempted Rape Dogged Nice Guy Real Life Writes the Plot I Did What I Had to Do Casting Gag Names to Run Away from Really Fast War Is Hell Reality Ensues Shirtless Scene Deliberate Values Dissonance Nice Job Breaking It, Hero! The Bad Guy Wins Rule of Cool Left the Background Music On Advertised Extra Sequel Escalation Playing Gertrude Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right! Historical In-Joke Cool Guns Canon Foreigner Defrosting Ice Queen Mad Scientist The Atoner Corpsing Book-Ends Anti-Hero Wicked Cultured Sequel Hook Silent Movie Epic Movie Kick the Dog Pretty Little Headshots Jump Scare Exactly What It Says on the Tin Sacrificial Lion Sadistic Choice Epic Fail The End... Or Is It? The Dreaded Femme Fatale Distracted by the Sexy Daylight Horror Domestic Abuse Oh, Crap! Cain and Abel Shout-Out The Oner Adaptational Badass Police Brutality The Hero Dies Alliterative Name Very Loosely Based on a True Story Chekhov's Gunman Red Oni, Blue Oni Cluster F-Bomb And I Must Scream Artistic License – History Leitmotif My Greatest Failure Mr. Exposition The Chick Crazy Jealous Guy The Chessmaster Shoot the Shaggy Dog Disney Villain Death My Beloved Smother Famous Last Words Throwing Your Sword Always Works You Have Outlived Your Usefulness Asshole Victim Biopic Gold Digger Abhorrent Admirer Girl-on-Girl Is Hot Bi the Way Imagine Spot Dwindling Party Would Hurt a Child The Un-Reveal Genre Shift Coming-of-Age Story Properly Paranoid Age Lift Roger Ebert: Great Movies List Shipper on Deck Kick the Son of a Bitch Broken Bird Exact Words Only One Name Determinator Time Skip Enemy Mine The Cavalry Race Against the Clock The Stoic Easily Forgiven Celebrity Paradox